Kent State University is a single-stream campus, where different recyclable materials can be placed in the same recycling bin on campus. Everyone’s actions to recycle and minimize waste at Kent State University divert thousands of pounds of waste from landfills, protect the environment, and conserve natural resources.

Resource recovery and materials management is fundamental in 1) reducing waste sent to landfills, 2) protecting the environment, and 3) conserving natural resources. While following the 3R’s users can make the most difference by first Reducing, then Reusing, and lastly Recycling.

Single Stream Recycling

Aluminum cans, steel cans, and foil food lids should be placed in any recycling bin on campus.

Kent State University is a single stream campus, where all recyclables can be placed in the same recycling bin. Recycling is hauled to a Materials Recovery Facility where recyclables are sorted based on type, baled and then sold. Everyone’s actions minimizing waste, reusing, and recycling at Kent State University diverts nearly a million pounds of waste from landfills every year.

Kent State University is a single stream campus, where all recyclables can be placed in the same recycling bin. Recycling is hauled to a Materials Recovery Facility where recyclables are sorted based on type, baled and then sold. Everyone’s actions minimizing waste, reusing, and recycling at Kent State University diverts nearly a million pounds of waste from landfills every year.

Any kind of glass beverage containers including all colors and broken containers should be placed in any recycling bin on campus.

Light bulbs, drinking glasses, Pyrex and glass containers that are used for cooking at high temperatures should go into the trash.

Kent State University is a single stream campus, where all recyclables can be placed in the same recycling bin. Recycling is hauled to a Materials Recovery Facility where recyclables are sorted based on type, baled and then sold. Everyone’s actions minimizing waste, reusing, and recycling at Kent State University diverts nearly a million pounds of waste from landfills every year.

Any kind of paper including: office paper, magazines, newspapers, glossy paper, envelopes, post-its, and wrapping paper should be placed in any recycling bin on campus.

Used napkins or paper towels should go into the trash.

Kent State University is a single stream campus, where all recyclables can be placed in the same recycling bin. Recycling is hauled to a Materials Recovery Facility where recyclables are sorted based on type, baled and then sold. Everyone’s actions minimizing waste, reusing, and recycling at Kent State University diverts nearly a million pounds of waste from landfills every year.

Any kind of paper cartons, aseptic containers (i.e. boxed soups, juices or liquids), and milk cartons should be placed in any recycling bin on campus.

Kent State University is a single stream campus, where all recyclables can be placed in the same recycling bin. Recycling is hauled to a Materials Recovery Facility where recyclables are sorted based on type, baled and then sold. Everyone’s actions minimizing waste, reusing, and recycling at Kent State University diverts nearly a million pounds of waste from landfills every year.

Plastic containers and bottles labeled with a recycling #1 through #7 symbol, including bottles, food containers (with minimal food waste), to-go cup lids, shampoo bottles, laundry detergent bottles should be placed in any recycling bin on campus. Look for the chasing arrows and a number to see if an item is a #1-#7 plastic that can be recycled.

Plastic bags and styrofoam should be placed in the trash.

Kent State University is a single stream campus, where all recyclables can be placed in the same recycling bin. Recycling is hauled to a Materials Recovery Facility where recyclables are sorted based on type, baled and then sold. Everyone’s actions minimizing waste, reusing, and recycling at Kent State University diverts nearly a million pounds of waste from landfills every year.

How to Reuse or Recycle Other Materials

Kent State University Office of the University Architects donates outdated design materials to ZeroLandfill Akron every year. ZeroLandfill Akron donations and collections open to the public usually take place in February every year. ZeroLandfill Cleveland donations and collections open to the public usually take place in July every year.

Throw 'N' Go

This annual program started in 2003. From spring break until move out at the end of the year, Kent State residence hall students donate non-perishable food, clothes, rugs, furniture and other usable items via the Throw ‘n’ Go program. Bins placed in designated areas in the residence halls collect donations which benefit Phyllis Zumkehr Portage County Clothing Center. Collection bins are also located in the KSU Alumni Center for off-campus students and seniors. Donations are close to 100,000 pounds every year!

Bra Recycling Drive

Kent State University’s Office of Sustainability and the Women’s Center host a bra drive, during the month of October coinciding with fall mammogram screenings, to collect reusable or worn-out bras since 2013. Bras that are in good condition are donated to Phyllis Zumkehr Portage County Clothing Center, and worn-out bras are recycled via The Bra Recyclers to be shredded and turned into wiper cloths and other textiles. Bras that are washed and clean can be dropped off during the drive at the Women’s Center Carriage House or at the Office of Sustainability at Suite 101 in Harbourt Hall from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Kent State Career Closet

The Kent State University Women's Center, Launch Net and The Career Exploration and Development Center have partnered together to create the Career Closet! Located in the Women's Center, the Career Closet is a place for all students to pick out a professional outfir for interviews and other professional affairs. All students with a Kent State University ID. The Career Close is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10am - 6pm at the Williamson House. The Career Closet is always collecting donations: new or gently used professional pieces for men or women, ties, hangers, and gift cards for laundering.

The Phyllis Zumkehr Portage County Clothing Center Drop Off at Kent State University Williamson House Monday-Friday 8am-5pm

The Phyllis Zumkehr Portage County Clothing Center offers gently used clothing, household items and even appliances as available to families and individuals in need at absolutely no cost. They serve over 3,000 individuals and families every month. The center also has a focus on protecting the environment by keeping these nice items out of the garbage. 215 tons of clothing is diverted from landfills each year.

Clothing can be dropped off at Kent State University Williamson House Monday-Friday 8am-5pm. Clothes that can be used for the KSU Career Closet will be donated. All other clothing donations will go to the Phylliz Zumkehr Portage County Clothing Center.

Recycle Clothing

Levi's Strauss and Company now collects and recycles any brand of clothing or shoesat any Levi's store. Consumers may drop off any brand of clean clothing or shoes in collection boxes. Any consumer who brings an item of clothing or shoes to recycle will receive a voucher for 20 percent off a single, regular-priced Levi’s item in-store.

Astronomers Without Borders will be announcing a program to collect eclipse glasses for distribution to other countries for future eclipses. Hold on to your glasses! There will be corporate partners who will be receiving and processing them for us. Please DO NOT send them to AWB!

Personally Owned Electronics

For personal electronics, once a year, during RecycleMania in March, Kent State University holds a free "E-Cycle" drive open to students, faculty, staff and the local community to recycle any personal electronic items. Usually the drop-off location is at the Administrative Services Loading Dock.

GBEX recycles empty ink and toner cartridges for Kent State University year-round for free. Simply note “RECYCLE” on the box and place it where you would normally receive GBEX deliveries or give it to a GBEX driver. GBEX’s drivers will take empty cartridges to be recycled when they deliver your next order.

Founded in 1993, MedWish International is a not-for-profit organization that saves lives and the environment by repurposing discarded medical supplies and equipment to provide humanitarian aid in developing countries.

Personally Owned Refrigerators and Mini Fridges

Each year during move out, nearly 100,000 pounds of non-perishable food, clothes, rugs, furniture and other items are donated by residence hall students via the Throw ‘n’ Go program, benefitting Portage Family and Community Services.

Frequently Asked Questions

By recycling, we reduce the demand for raw materials, conserve natural resources, and preserve our environment. In addition it costs less to haul recycling than trash since materials can be sorted and sold to be used for new products, thereby saving money.

At Kent State, when materials are placed in recycle bins, it is emptied by custodial or grounds staff, placed in our outdoor campus recycling containers, where it is picked up and delivered to a Materials Recovery Facility 14 miles away from campus. A Materials Recovery Facility sorts, bails, and distributes recyclable materials to be used and turned into new products.

On campus, when materials are placed in the trash, it is emptied by custodial or grounds staff, placed in our outdoor trash containers where it is picked up and taken directly to the landfill. Kent State University trash is sent either to Glenwillow Landfillin Cuyahoga County, 19 miles away from Kent State or Countywide Landfill in Stark County, 43 miles from campus. Landfills release methane, the most potent greenhouse gas. Landfills also produce “leachate,” a toxic fluid made up of pollutants like heavy metals, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, benzene, pesticides and more. When we reduce waste, we reduce the amount of material being landfilled and the harmful byproducts of landfills.

Scheduling recycling and trash removal from exterior building containers are services provided by University Facility Management’s Grounds, 330-672-2345. Scheduling recycling and trash removal from the interior of academic buildings are services provided by University Facility Management’s Custodial Services, 330-672-2345. The Office of Sustainability provides information on how to dispose of university owned items, answers questions on the recyclability of items, and conducts educational programs.

It can, and these facilities are called “dirty Materials Recovery Facility”, where recyclables are sorted from trash, but there are very few facilities that operate this way. The recycling systems are more efficient when a “clean” product of only recyclables is put in. The “dirty MRFs” sort out recyclable items from the trash, but some recyclables are so contaminated by trash that they are no longer recyclable. As a result, dirty MRFs are not as efficient at sorting as MRFs that only accept recyclables. In order to be the most efficient and cost effective centers, most recycling centers only process recyclable materials. Our campus recycling is sent to a MRF that sorts recyclable materials only.

Recycling is a business. Any item has the potential to be recycled, but there must be a market demand. If items are cheaper to send to the landfill than sell as a baled product, then recycling centers won’t accept those items, because it is not financially viable.

An example is Styrofoam or polystyrene. There are few centers that can accept polystyrene. Polystyrene is lightweight, but takes up a lot of space. It isn’t viable for recycling centers to collect and haul products that take up a lot of space, but don’t generate much of a product to sell.

Another example is plastic bags. MRFs do not accept plastic bags in their recycling because they can get stuck in the sorting machines. When bags get stuck in sorting machines, it can cause the whole Materials Recovery Facility to stop, until fixed. Plastic bags can usually be recycled at grocery stores that provide a drop off bin to recycle bags.

We have access to monitor our recycling and trash volumes during RecycleMania in February in March. Our 2017 campus recycling rate (the amount recycled out of our trash + recycling waste streams) was 36%, double our recycling rate in 2012, and there are still opportunities to improve. Kent State recycles 65,000 pounds of material per week and sends 117,000 pounds of material to the landfill. That amounts to about 2.1 pounds recycled and about 3.8 pounds of trash generated per person per week. The largest recyclable components still ending up in our trash bins are plastic #1-#7 (particularly plastic bottles) and paper.

In 2017 during the 8 weeks of RecycleMania in February and March, Kent State University recycled OVER half a million pounds!

Why the change in telling people to leave caps on? I thought they were supposed to be off?

"Two key reasons: First, when recycling gets easier, participation goes up. The Association of Plastic Recyclers is dedicated to boosting participation in recycling programs. Second, the cap material is recyclable. Why dispose something that could be recycled? In the past the plastics recycling industry was not able to effectively recycle bottles with caps on so the message to remove the cap was created. Recycling collection and processing technology has improved, demand for the recyclable material has increased allowing the current caps on recycling message and process."- The Association of Plastic Recyclers

Caps are usually made of a different type of plastic than bottles. Do they have to be recycled separately?

"No. Although closures may be made of a different material than the bottle, bottles are ground into flake before being vigorously washed in the recycling process. The washed cap material is then separated from the bottle material during a water bath float/sink process. PET will sink, PP and HDPE will float. Both materials are then recycled into new items. "- The Association of Plastic Recyclers